Chimney Lining and Relining a Flue
A flue liner supplied and fitted costs €800 to €2,500 in Ireland. A chimney needs lining when a stove is being fitted, when tar or smoke is coming through the walls of the stack, or when a camera shows cracked or missing sections in the flue. The usual liner is a flexible stainless steel tube dropped from the top of the stack and joined to the appliance.
Which chimneys need a liner, which liner, and what it fixes.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- €800 to €2,500a liner supplied and fitted
- 400,354homes from before 1961
- 125 or 150 mmthe usual stove liner
When a flue needs lining
- A stove is going in. A stove sends cooler smoke up a narrower path than an open fire. In a wide old flue it cools, condenses and runs back as tar. The liner is sized to the stove's outlet.
- Brown stains on the chimney breast. Tar soaking through the wall of the flue, upstairs or in the attic.
- Smoke or a smell in an upstairs room. The flue is leaking into the house or into the flue beside it.
- After a chimney fire. The heat cracks clay liners and old parging. See after a chimney fire.
- An old house. Stacks built before the 1960s usually have no clay liner at all. 400,354 Irish homes date from before 1961 (Census 2022).
Three kinds of liner
| Liner | Used for | How it goes in |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible stainless steel | Stoves and ranges in an existing chimney | Dropped from the top in one length, joined to the stove |
| Clay or pumice sections | A stack being rebuilt, or a new chimney | Built in as the stack goes up |
| Cast in place | An old flue that is too rough or bent for a steel liner | Poured round a former that is then removed |
What to ask about a steel liner
- The grade. 316 stainless suits dry wood. 904 stands up better to the acids from coal and smokeless fuel. Ask which is going in and why.
- The diameter. It should match the stove's outlet, usually 125 mm or 150 mm, never narrower.
- The top and bottom. A plate and cowl at the pot, an adaptor at the stove, and a way to sweep it.
- Insulation. On a cold outside-wall chimney, backfill round the liner keeps the smoke warm and the tar down.
- A carbon monoxide alarm. The Building Regulations (Part J) call for one when a new stove or fire goes in.
Turf, wood and tar
67,891 Irish households heat mainly with turf and 31,854 with wood (Census 2022). Both burn cooler and wetter than coal, and a slow fire damped down overnight sends tar up the flue. In an unlined stack it soaks into the mortar and shows as brown stains. In a lined one it stays inside the liner, where a sweep can deal with it.
Lining, priced
| Job | Typical cost | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| A flue liner supplied and fitted | €800 to €2,500 | The height of the flue, the liner grade, bends |
| A cowl supplied and fitted | €100 to €450 | The type of cowl and how it's reached |
| Flaunching renewed, pots re-bedded | €200 to €1,200 | How many pots, and whether any are cracked |
| Scaffolding for a chimney | €350 to €1,200 | Two storeys or three, a stack at the ridge or the eaves |
Repair work on a house is at the reduced 13.5% VAT rate. Ask for a written price that includes it, and says whether scaffolding is in it.
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More on chimney repairs
Costs, leaks, mortar, flues and rebuilds.
What chimney repairs costEvery job, priced. Repointing is €300 to €1,500.
A leaking chimneyWhere the damp shows tells you where the water gets in.
Repointing a stackWhen new mortar is enough, and when it isn't.
Rebuilding a stackA lean, bulging or loose bricks. €800 to €2,000 above the roofline.
Capping and cowlsAn unused flue capped with a vent is €300 to €900.Chimney repair in every county
- Carlow3,372 homes built before 1946
- Cavan4,152 homes built before 1946
- Clare6,309 homes built before 1946
- Cork37,465 homes built before 1946
- Donegal6,974 homes built before 1946
- Dublin79,150 homes built before 1946
- Galway10,117 homes built before 1946
- Kerry7,666 homes built before 1946
- Kildare5,606 homes built before 1946
- Kilkenny6,287 homes built before 1946
- Laois4,323 homes built before 1946
- Leitrim2,466 homes built before 1946
- Limerick11,830 homes built before 1946
- Longford2,224 homes built before 1946
- Louth6,764 homes built before 1946
- Mayo7,592 homes built before 1946
- Meath6,839 homes built before 1946
- Monaghan3,868 homes built before 1946
- Offaly4,608 homes built before 1946
- Roscommon4,227 homes built before 1946
- Sligo4,130 homes built before 1946
- Tipperary12,246 homes built before 1946
- Waterford7,755 homes built before 1946
- Westmeath4,684 homes built before 1946
- Wexford8,936 homes built before 1946
- Wicklow8,488 homes built before 1946
Check your chimney
Four taps: what's wrong, the height of the house, what the stack is built of and what it's used for. You see the likely job and our price for it. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one chimney repair company that covers your county to ring you.
Questions people ask
Does every stove need a liner?
Nearly always in an older chimney. A modern clay-lined flue in good order can sometimes be used as it is: a camera inspection settles it.
How long does lining take?
Half a day to a day for a straight flue. Bends and a tight pot take longer.
How long does a liner last?
It depends on the grade, the fuel and how often it is swept. Ask for the manufacturer's guarantee in writing.
Can an open fire be lined?
Yes, with a wider liner or a cast lining, though most people line when they change to a stove.
Is lining the same as sweeping?
No. Sweeping cleans the flue. Lining gives it a new inside.
Get a price for your chimney repair
One chimney repair company that covers your county. Free, no obligation. Nothing is booked until you say yes.